After millions in expenses and hundreds of hours of court time in six separate trials, neither Merck & Co. nor plaintiffs attorneys have captured the upper hand in the litigation blizzard that followed the withdrawal of the pain medication Vioxx, experts say.
On Friday, jurors in south Texas found Merck liable for the death of Leonel Garza, a 71-year-old man who suffered heart attack after taking Vioxx for one month. That ties the score at three wins for plaintiffs and three for Merck.